Sponsor Content: Patron

Artisan Craft: Aroma M Hits the High Notes

Patrón is committed to producing tequila in the most authentic way possible. Relying on traditional methods isn’t always the easiest way, but it’s the only way to achieve a perfect, high-quality spirit. This series showcases artisans who share that same dedication to their craft.

The pursuit of perfume perfection took Maria McElroy of Aroma M years of study all over the world. She recently moved her atelier from DUMBO to Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she creates her cult favorite fragrances and beauty oils. Originally a painter with an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, she is inspired by color, her years living in Japan, and a romantic imagination. From globally sourced ingredients, to mixing fragrances drop by drop, to hand-packaging her bottles with exquisite imported papers, McElroy does things the hard way, producing premium products backed by 20 years of experience.

How did you get started as a creator of fragrances?

“For seven years, I lived in Japan. I was studying traditional Japanese arts, including Ikebana, flower arranging, and Kodo, the incense ceremony. It’s a very rarified ritual, similar to the Japanese tea ceremony, in that it’s performed in a beautiful room in a traditional kimono. Basically it’s a poetic game in which people guess what is in the incense. As with all of these arts, they say it takes ten years just to scratch the surface.

I was only able to do it a few times, but it definitely sparked something in me. It made me curious about the olfactory sense and all the different things that scent can do for us. And then I went to Australia and studied aromatherapy, which further led to my creating Aroma M.”

Take us through your process from concept to execution.

“I started as a painter, and I often create fragrances as imaginations of color. And so the core Aroma M line, the Geisha perfumes are named after color: Noir, Blanche, Rouge, Pink, and Blue. I envision the notes and gather all the raw materials without a whole lot of process to it, actually. Each one is different. I develop it very old school, drop by drop, to create a formula.

It’s similar to making a painting. You paint for a while, then step back and look. With perfume, you have an idea, put the notes together, and step back. As with anything creative, some things take a long time—and some things come together very quickly

My raw materials come from all over the world. The lavender comes from France. On a recent trip to Morocco I completely fell in love with the oils there. It’s a perfumer’s paradise. At night it smells like jasmine and orange blossoms, the sea and the desert. I’m now sourcing a lot of my ingredients from Morocco.”

Tell us about your pursuit of perfection.

“I am definitely a perfectionist. I launched Geisha Rouge at a major New York department store–and it took me two years to before I was ready to put my seal of approval on it. It’s a perfume with no florals in it, so it gets its sweetness from tobacco and vanilla with notes of incense. I knew exactly what I wanted—like when you know the kind of boots you want to buy but they don’t exist! It was worth the wait and became a real cult classic: a spicy, sexy fragrance that leaves a big impression—not for the faint of heart.”

Geishas serve as a source of inspiration for you. Why?

“I was struck by the geishas went I went to Kyoto for the first time, and they continue to fascinate me. I lived in the original geisha quarter, Gion, it feels like you’re stepping back in time several hundred years—you see tiny little streets lined with wooden houses. You can hear the clattering of the geishas going back and forth in the night on the cobblestones—it’s magical.”

Describe your new fragrance, Voluptuous Nostalgia.

“Based on Geisha Noir, this Italian-inspired fragrance has amber in it, tonka bean and vanilla. Along with Moroccan-sourced materials: beautiful violet and gardenia that give it incredibly pretty flower notes. It comes a hand-etched French bottle that is wrapped in its own ‘stole,’ a velvet handmade bag. As are all perfumes, it’s an ethereal experience.”

Learn more about Maria McElroy and purchase scents and beauty products from her line at aromaM.com.